This time I will tell something about the climate and temperatures here. Since Japan is very long, it also has different climate zones. It is also exposed to both continental and pacific influences. In general, Japan has four different seasons with a climate ranging from the subarctic in the north to the sub-tropical in the south. The conditions differ between the Pacific side and the sea of Japan.
Northern Japan has warm summers and very cold winters with heavy snow on the Sea of Japan side and in mountainous areas.
Eastern Japan has hot and humid summers and cold winters with very heavy snow on the Sea of Japan side and in mountainous areas.
Western Japan has very hot and humid summers (with temperatures sometimes reaching 35 oC or above) and moderate cold winters.
Okinawa and Amami have a subtropical oceanic climate. These areas have hot and humid summers (with temperatures rarely reaching 35oC or above) and mild winters.
Japan Meteorological Agency: http://www.data.jma.go.jp/gmd/cpd/longfcst/en/tourist.html
As I am in the Shizuoka city of Shizuoka Prefecture, I am in a subtropical area. I can feel this clearly at the temperatures here, for this I’m an too ice-cold guy. The temperatures themselves are in most cases good to bear, even if the sun can burn very hot here. However, there is also a high humidity, which can make it quite unpleasant. That’s why I’m happy when I have trudged up the mountain in the morning (without the heat not worth mentioning) to the university, that we have air conditioning or cool rooms for machines …
The summer here I do not know yet, but it seems to be a good conversation topic, because I’m be warned by Japanese before exactly this occasion often, if I have the rare opportunity for a little small talk. The summer lasts from about mid-July to September.
In winter, there is no snow here and this is supposedly only in Shizuoka and Okinawa Prefecture the case. Because I love snow, quite sadly …
An additional remark. Today I experienced my first earthquake. According to the state survey from the university for me, it had a strength of 3 on the JMA scale (currently 7 levels). This was not much more than a weaker shaking of the earth. If I could still have slept, I would probably haven’t noticed it. At the epicenter it was supposed to be level 5. That is more.
The contribution is from the English Wikipedia, which has modified it from here: http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.html
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